Tickets on sale for Restoration Festival 2011

restoration festival badgeThe Restoration Festival, the two day music event at St. Joseph's in Albany, will be back this year on August 27 and 28. Early bird tickets are now on sale -- $20 for both days, $15 for single days.

Some of the bands in this year's lineup, along with other details, after the jump. This year's fest will include a handful of bands from outside the area. A few of them are mentioned -- some are still on the way.

(AOA is a media sponsor again this year, so we've gotten to hear about some of the not-quite-confirmed national acts -- they're good! Sorry, to tease. OK, we're not really that sorry.)

From the Rest Fest press release:
____

B3nson Records, in conjunction with the WEXT, and All Over Albany will hold the second annual Restoration Festival on August 27th and 28th at St Joe's in Arbor Hill

Albany, NY (June 7th, 2011) On Saturday and Sunday, August 27th and 28th from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm, St. Joseph's Church in Downtown Albany will be a home and a stage for the second annual Restoration Funstival.

We are excited to announce both The Music Tapes & A Hawk and A Hacksaw will be playing at this years festival.

The Music Tapes (Merge Records) are led by Julian Koster (Neutral Milk Hotel/Elephant 6), who's devotion to the Singing Saw has been touted by many as nearl religious. The band released their second full length Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes in 2008 after a nine year hiatus. "...When he gets it right, Koster seems like a mad, fuzz-folk genius."
NPR Music

"If his first Music Tapes album in nine years suggests an unhealthy obsession with Brian Wilson's SMiLE, the wobbly-voiced outsider makes his own quaint magic..."
SPIN

The Music Tapes played Athens Popfest 2008 and participated in the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour, and have since been touring the country singing Christmas Carols and spreading joy in the living rooms of lucky fans across the US.

A Hawk and A Hacksaw (L.M. Dupli-cation) is the project of Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel/Elephant 6) and Heather Troste, who have travelled across Europe and America to find influences for their traditionally inspired Balkan-folk music featuring the accordian and violin. Their most recent release, Cervantine, on their own label, L.M. Dupli-cation, has received a great deal of critical acclaim.

"their music goes far beyond mere imitation, their performances seem to push past spirited, compelled not simply to observe or replicate but to create as well, driven by devotion to the sounds they've heard and the ideas they inspire."
Pitchfork

A Hawk and A Hacksaw have appeared at All Tomorrow's Parties Festival, Roskilde (Den), The Green Man Festival, Pitchfork Music Festival, The Calgary Folk Fest, Wellington Arts Fest (N.Z.), among others. They have also toured with Wilco, Calexico, Andrew Bird, of Montreal, Beirut and Portishead.

Additional national headlining acts will be announced at a later date.

The Restoration Festival is working to maintain its reputation as the premier local music event in the capital region and has an exiting list of confirmed local artists The current local lineup includes [in no particular order] the Matthew Carefully Undone Ensemble and Swamp Baby [of Collar City Records], Aficionado [ of No Sleep Records ] Alta Mira [of Indian Ledge Records], Railbird, The Red Lions, The Stompin Jug Ramblers (featuring members of the Ramblin' Jug Stompers), and Slender Shoulders as well as Barons In The Attic, Scientific Maps, We Are Jeneric and Sgt. Dunbar & the Hobo Banned [of B3nson Records]. Musical and Visual interludes as well as after party will be exploded and controlled by Keep Albany Boring. All of which are contributing equally to making this celebration a success.

Tickets are currently on sale for the Early Bird Price of $15.00 per day and $20.00 for the entire weekend at www.restfest.net. The organizers are actively seeking sponsors
for this year's festival and have a wide range of sponsorship levels and packages. Sponsorship information can be found at http://restfest.net/sponsors.htm.

Be on the lookout for more updates, information and cultural escapades from B3nson Records and all of their friends. News feeds will be provided at www.restfest.net and you can become a fan and a friend at www.facebook.com and www.twitter.com/restorationfest.

Find It

Restoration Festival at St. Joseph's
38 Ten Broeck
Albany, NY 12210

Comments

An event not in washington park and swarmed by hordes of idiots?

SOLD

Someone let them know they haven't cleaned up after the last one...

I'd like to inform Anonymous that the promoters and volunteers spent several laborious days AFTER the innitial Rest Fest cleaning up any mess incurred from the festival. Additionally, we spent the entire week beforehand (we were given a week before and 2 or 3 days following with keys) cleaning up several years worth of neglect, and messes incurred from other events that were not fully taken care of. We left St. Joseph's in significanly greater condition than it was when we entered it. Historic Albany Society welcomed us back with open arms this year, something I highly doubt they would be inclined to do if they were less than satisfied with out work.

Not sure what the chip on your shoulder is from, but it wasn't from us.

Actually, there was a great effort both before and after to clean up St Joe's and its surrounding area. Maintaining that space is a year round job. If you would like to volunteer your time to help keep St Joe's beautiful, you can contact the Historic Albany Foundation http://www.historic-albany.org/ or come find any of the volunteers at this year's Rest Fest. Just look at what a little bit of time and hard work can do!

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Bringing-back-bells-peal-appeal-862628.php

Hope to see you at Rest Fest '11 this year!

Unfortunately, it seems as though St. Joseph's has become nothing but a sloppy mess cluttered with hipster artwork and noise. The beauty and majesty of the church is slowly slipping away and becoming a tacky eyesore. Throwing in a handful of obstreperous bands in such a divine space, is truly insulting and disrespectful.

The beauty and majesty of the church is crumbling due decades of neglect and decay. What RestFest is trying to do is raise money for and bring attention to St. Joseph's Church in an attempt to restore it and turn it into a community space FOR Albany.

A ton of great local bands AND The Music Tapes + A Hawk and A Hacksaw? SOLD.

The Albany "hipsters" should be commended for actually caring to organize cultural events and contribute to the revitalization of their city. The B3nson crew does nothing but good work and to say we're lucky to have them seems a gross understatement.

You're right '?'- it'd be much better if the place was left to rot and decay and eventually become a parking lot. Damn those hipsters and their raising-money-to-restore-the-building-you-admire!

In all seriousness: AMAZING job booking this event, organizers! Jeremy Barnes and Julian Koster both coming to Albany... I don't dare imagine the possibility of a certain special guest who happens to be starting his first tour in 10+ years just a few days later. No, no... cannot get my ridiculous hopes up.

As a participant in Day 2 of last year's Rest Fest (and what looks like Day 1 of this years'), i can say that things didn't get obstreperous til right around 4PM- so come early if you deem yourself of more dainty stock.

Now, if these hipsters could start a nice bar somewhere, then we'd be getting somewhere near an actual college town. (Emoticon with smiley-type face.)

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